Notes on the Breeding Habits of some of the Water-Birds 
of St. Clair Flats, Michigan. — • The past season I had the good 
fortune to find two nests of the Red-head Duck ( Aytliya americana ), con- 
taining respectively seven and eight eggs. The nests were situated as 
follows. The first was placed on some drifted rushes on a sunken log, and 
was composed of flags and rushes evidently taken from the pile, of drift 
upon the log, as they were short pieces, so short, in fact, that the nest when 
lifted with the hands fell in pieces. The nest was about four inches 
deep, and lined with down from the female. This nest contained seven 
fresh eggs of a creamy color, and varied in measurements from 2.30 X 1.75 
to 2.22 X 1.66 inches, and were of a uniform oval shape, very little 
smaller at one end. The other nest was built similar to a Coot’s nest, 
that is, of flags and grass interwoven at the base of a bunch of flags, grow- 
ing in water three or four feet deep. It was built in such a way that the 
nest would rise and fall with the water. This nest also contained down 
and eight fresh eggs, uniform in size, shape, and color with the others. 
The birds, male and female, were flying around, and often came quite close 
to me. The cry of the female resembled the cry of the Mallard so nearly 
that, had I heard and not seen the bird, I should have supposed it to be 
the Mallard. 
At - mLt/l . 
BullN.O.O. 5, Jan., 188Q, p, & X . 
